A new Botox wrinkle

September 14, 2003|By Marc Davis.

When he announced that he was going to undergo a Botox procedure for his wrinkled forehead, friends and colleagues said, "You look just fine. You don't need anything done." So reports a 42-year-old unmarried Chicago attorney who prefers not to be identified.

He disagreed. "I've been thinking about doing this since my late 20s," he said. "But I didn't have my first procedure until about 18 months ago. So far, I've had three Botox procedures at about six-month intervals."

The attorney represents a growing trend, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. More younger and middle-age males are seeking Botox treatments to erase worry wrinkles, crow's feet and frown lines to look better. Last year there was a 25 percent increase over the previous year in the number of males undergoing cosmetic Botox injections, according to the society.

"Until recently, all my Botox patients were women," said Dr. Victor Lewis, a plastic surgeon and professor of clinical surgery at Northwestern Memorial Hospital who treated our attorney-patient. "Now about 20 percent are men, and the numbers are increasing. I've treated about 50 men in the last 12 months, and the numbers are growing. Men have become more comfortable [psychologically] with the procedure."

Lewis cautioned that the cosmetic use of Botox ($200 to $500) works best and is approved by the FDA for use only at eye level and above.

The Botoxed attorney said, "I look better and I'm very happy with the results. It had a positive impact on my social life."